The running back market took a massive hit this offseason across the board, highlighted by Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones taking a pay cut in February by signing a re-done contract that decreased his salary $5 million in 2023, from $16 million to $11 million. This decrease comes after Jones totaled a career-high 1,121 rushing yards in 2022. Jones explained to reporters Tuesday in Green Bay that staying with the Packers was the driving factor in the financial move. The former fifth-round pick clarified that he doesn't feel like the new deal is a true "pay cut" because it's still the most he's taken home in a season.
"This is home for me," Jones said via FOX 11 in Wisconsin. "Those guys in the locker room, those are my brothers. The people upstairs, they believe in me, and they believed in me since I've gotten here. It just made sense, deal-wise. The market for running backs, there was a huge gap between $16 million and Christian McCaffrey, who's at $12 [million in cash flow for 2023]. I wouldn't say pay cut because I never made $11 million in my career, so this is still the most I've ever made, and it still has me as the second-highest paid for the backs, so it matched up with the market."
Jones' cash flow in 2023 is tied for the second-highest at the running back position with Dalvin Cook of the Minnesota Vikings and Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints. The $11.5 million average per year on the redone two-year deal ranks seventh among running backs, trailing McCaffrey's $16.016 million, Kamara's $15 million, Cook's $12.6 million, Derrick Henry's $12.5 million, and the $12.2 million attached to both Nick Chubb's and Joe Mixon's contracts.
"I didn't want to be greedy," Jones said. "I'm a team player. I want to help the team and help them get as many guys in here as we can. So, if that means freeing up a little money, then I will."
That's a stark contrast in mindset when compared to his left tackle, David Bakhtiari, who said Tuesday that he would be "more jaded" if teammates took less money to stay with "their guys" and to go "do what's best for you." In the case of Jones, he's clearly decided what's best for him is remaining a Green Bay Packer.
